Pishing Sibes at Martin Mere

I enjoy a good pish every now and again, sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. My favourite victims are tits (especially long-tailed), crests and small warblers. For those who don't know, the ancient art of pishing involves simply making a funny noise to try to attract birds closer. I'm not sure why it works but probably just because the birds think I've finally flipped and want a closer look.

I use four different methods with varying degrees of success. The least successful is a ticking noise similar to that which a female blackcap makes, usually in an attempt to lure a sylvia warbler out of scrub. I make this noise by either using my tongue on the roof of my mouth or occasionally by clicking my fingers. 

The next least successful method is a low "peeesh, peeesh, peeesh", similar to the sound some people make to domestic cats. This occasionally works but mainly attracts long-tailed tits. However it's always worth attracting long-tailed tits because other small birds often travel with them and a few years back I tried this and a yellow-browed warbler popped up in the middle of a flock.

The final two methods are very similar and really the same. In it's purest form I put together my index finger and the next finger as if I'm making a gun shape and put them flat on my pursed lips and make a high pitched squeaking noise. If you're doing it correctly it should tickle your lips. This is by far my most successful method of pishing and it will sometimes attract tits, crests and small warblers. The problem with this method is that I can then only use one hand to hold my binoculars or camera, so I've adapted it and make a similar noise by just by pursing my lips and not using my fingers. Again it should tickle your lips. This is less successful than the full blown version, so what I tend to do is use the full version to get the birds attention and then when they move towards me I try to hold them there with the lesser version whilst looking at the bird through my binoculars. 

Pishing doesn't always work, in fact on rare occasions it may even cause birds to move away or become more skulking so don't usually try it when other people are around just in case. In most cases though it has no affect and the birds just carry on as if nothing is happening.

"What the hell is this guy on?".

"Hey mate, come and have a look at this."

So finding myself alone at the sewage works at Martin Mere this morning I tried a bit of pishing and it worked a treat. There was a single Siberian chiffchaff in a hawthorn bush which moved towards me and within seconds it was joined by a another. Then I saw a third in an adjacent bramble patch and suddenly a fourth popped up. I'd already seen one along the nearby stream so that made five altogether today. I had them calling all around me "eeeep". Really magical to enjoy such an intimate experience with these wonderful birds which breed in Siberia east of the Pechora River and normally winter in the lower Himalayas. It felt like they were talking to me.

No sign of any collybita chiffchaffs today, I assume that they are still around but if so they're not really associating with the Sibes.